Leo Tolstoy: Nonviolence That Began at the Table

Biography

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a towering figure of Russian literature, author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

Path to Vegetarianism

Tolstoy became a vegetarian in the mid-1880s and treated it as part of his moral self-improvement. He wrote a long preface, "The First Step," for a book on vegetarianism, arguing that restraining one's appetite was the first step toward a higher moral life.

Influence

His literary stature helped spread the ideals of vegetarianism, peace, and compassion across Europe, influencing many people — Gandhi among them.